Google Wallet to Include Car Keys and Driver's Licenses... New Android Features Announced

Source= Bloomberg

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyunjung] Google has introduced a service that allows users to store credit cards, car keys, and student IDs in its electronic wallet app.

On the 11th (local time), Google held its annual developer conference I/O 2022 at its headquarters in Mountain View, California, USA, and announced new features of the mobile operating system (OS) 'Android 13,' which will be introduced this fall.

Accordingly, Android phone users will be able to store and use credit cards, transportation cards, car keys, hotel room keys, office access cards, and vaccination certificates within Google Wallet. Google plans to initially provide access to this service in the United States and Singapore.

Bill Ready, President of Google Commerce, explained, "As digitalization accelerates, it is now going beyond the context of payments," adding, "We need to provide a space that goes beyond simple payment functions, such as mobile driver's licenses and car keys."

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

Google launched its payment app in 2015 and added features by the end of 2020 that allow consumers to check payment history and find discount services. At that time, the app had 150 million monthly active users worldwide, but recently it has been competing not only with Apple but also with Android device partners like Samsung Electronics.

Additionally, Google announced plans to include digital versions of driver's licenses and identification cards in Google Wallet within the year through further cooperation with U.S. state governments and overseas authorities. It also revealed plans to introduce an emergency call (SOS) feature in the wearable device OS to allow users to contact close friends or emergency service agencies immediately in emergencies or natural disasters.

The casting feature, which allows users who use various devices such as tablets, PCs, TVs, and headphones along with smartphones to seamlessly switch between devices, will also be expanded.

Furthermore, 'virtual cards' will be introduced in Chrome and Android, enhancing security by replacing actual card numbers with virtual numbers when users make payments on online malls. In this case, users will no longer need to enter the additional security code found on the back of the card during payment.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.